Emilia Migliaccio of Cary won the NCHSAA 4A women’s golf championship as a ninth-grader at Athens Drive High School in 2013, then opted to eschew varsity golf so she could focus on junior tour events. News & Observer File Photo

Emilia Migliaccio of Cary won the NCHSAA 4A women’s golf championship as a ninth-grader at Athens Drive High School in 2013, then opted to eschew varsity golf so she could focus on junior tour events. News & Observer File Photo

Cary’s Migliaccio and Chapel Hill’s Kim named to Junior Ryder Cup golf team

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Emilia Migliaccio of Cary and Chapel Hill High School junior Gina Kim will be among the 12 junior golfers representing the United States versus their European counterparts in the 10th Junior Ryder Cup, Sept. 26-27, at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn.

The United States Team is comprised of six boys and six girls who are U.S. citizens and graduating high school in 2017, or younger.

The 2016 U.S. Team is led by reigning Junior PGA Champions Norman Xiong, of Canyon Lake, California, and Lucy Li, of Redwood Shores, California. Xiong and Li captured the boys’ and girls’ titles, respectively, at the 41st Junior PGA Championship presented by Under Armour and Genesis Networks, at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, Rhode Island. The Championship concluded on Aug. 12.

As the runner-up in the boys’ and girls’ divisions at the 2016 Junior PGA Championship, Patrick Welch, of Providence, Rhode Island; and Alyaa Abdulghany, of Newport Beach, California, also earned automatic berths in the biennial competition.

Kim, who won the AJGA’s Rolex championship earlier this year, qualified for the team by virtue of being the U.S. Girls’ overall Junior Ryder Cup points leader. She’ll be joined on the team by a familiar face: Emilia Migliaccio, of Cary.

Migliaccio, who won the N.C. High School 4A golf championship as an Athens Drive ninth-grader in 2013, was one of three captain’s picks for the girls’ team by Jim Remy, the 36th President of the PGA of America. Remy will captain the U.S. Team that is attempting to capture the Junior Ryder Cup for a fifth consecutive time.

“To represent your country is the highest honor in sports, and we have an incredibly talented group of boys and girls on the team this year,” said Remy. “The United States Junior Ryder Cup Team is proud to compete with the best players from Europe for one of the most coveted prizes in junior golf.”

Goodwin is the No. 2 ranked player in the Golfweek rankings; Furr is ranked No. 4; and Hong is the No. 3 player in the rankings.

Cooper is the No. 3 player in the Golfweek rankings for girls; Migliaccio is the No. 8 player; and Papp is No. 4 player in the Golfweek rankings and recently won the 2016 U.S. Women’s Four-ball Championship with Cooper.

Participants in the 2016 Junior Ryder Cup will also play a nine-hole, “Friendship Match” on Sept. 28, at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. They will be announced live during the 41st Ryder Cup Opening Ceremonies to a global audience on Sept. 29.

The “Friendship Match” at Hazeltine will feature a combined mixed four-ball, with six groupings of four players that include one girl and one boy from both Europe and the United States.

The 2016 Junior Ryder Cup will continue to present the expanded Ryder Cup format of foursomes, mixed four-ball and singles competition. The matches will mark the 10th formal connection between the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Ltd., which biennially stage the Ryder Cup.

The Junior Ryder Cup will consist of six foursomes matches on Monday morning; six mixed four-ball matches on Monday afternoon; and 12 singles matches on Tuesday. A total of 12 ½ points are needed to win the cup, out of the 24 possible points on the board.

2016 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team

Boys

Noah Goodwin

Corinth, Texas

Wilson Furr

Jackson, Miss.

Eugene Hong

Sanford, Fla.

Davis Shore

Knoxville, Tenn.

Patrick Welch

Providence, R.I.

Norman Xiong

Canyon Lake, Cal

Girls

Alyaa Abdulghany

Newport Beach, Cal.

Hailee Cooper

Montgomery, Texas

Gina Kim

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Lucy Li

Redwood Shores, Cal.

Emilia Migliaccio

Cary, N.C.

Kaitlin Papp

Austin, Texas

Gina Kim of Chapel Hill High School won the 2015 NCHSAA 3A Women’s Golf Championship at Foxfire Golf Course and Resort on Monday, October 26. Reagan Lunnnewsobserver.com

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